2007 SOTF-TV Seasons
The pair of seasons held in 2007 served to hone and refine the SOTF formula established the previous year. While the technology and format was still developing in some ways, both of these seasons not only stood out at the time, but are still considered all-time classics of the show. Season Three Dates: ' 2007 '''Winner: ' Kenshin 'Kenny' Yamana (six kills) )]] '''Runner Up: Reilly Jenkins (four kills) Third Place: Jan Hesselink (three kills) Location: A moderately sized village and its outlying farmland. Notable Participants: * Kenshin 'Kenny' Yamana (winner) - The primary villain as well as the winner of the season, Kenny has the distinction of being the first 'bad guy' to win in SOTF-TV. Playing with a mixture of smarts, strength and a willingness to gamble, Kenny is best remembered not for his gameplay, but for his style and charisma. Witty as well as deadly, Kenny won many fans through pure magnetism, never seeming short of a quip or one-liner in any situation. Deciding to play as early as the first day, Kenny avoided the mistake of many killers by not going on the rampage, picking and choosing his moments. Kenshin's game wasn't flawless, his occasional recklessness leading to some narrow escapes, but it was undeniably entertaining. * Reilly Jenkins (second place) - Considered to be one of the heroes of Season Three, Reilly had a marked streak of tragedy, having been responsible for forming one of the game's major groups before it collapsed in a mixture of paranoia and broken trust. Reilly was determined, pragmatic and even had the occasional wry joke in her. Overall a fairly divisive personality, as many of those that liked Reilly as a team player and planner were turned off by her late game ruthlessness, whilst the fans that admired this streak were bored by how long it took her to 'get going'. * The 'Three Musketeers', Robin Robinson, Simone Lockley and Jan Hesselink (Seventh, Fifth and Third place) - A ragtag trio of players with a cocky streak a mile wide, the self-proclaimed Three Musketeers were a real oddity, somehow forming a cohesive and effective unit in spite of barely knowing each other prior to the game. With no clear leader, the Musketeers showed great teamwork, Simone providing many of the plans, but Robin chipping in plenty of his own ideas too, Jan mostly sticking to just being the group's muscle. Notching up nine kills between them, the trio were a real force, and a blueprint for many player groups in future seasons, though their swagger and unlikely friendship has proved very tough to replicate. * "The Duo", Dusty Mills and Wallace Cardegan (Sixth and Fourth place) - The swashbuckling pairing of Dusty and Wallace were two of the main protagonists of Season Three, bringing to the game a kind of daredevil recklessness characterised by a willingness to help anyone out of trouble - with all the firepower they could muster. Both making good weapons draws, the two best friends ran into each other early on and stuck to one another like glue, projecting their unsurety about their fate into a willingness to help everyone they could, never hesitating to make shows of force. They drove away several potential allies because of their gung ho tactics, but it was their willingness to go in all guns blazing that got them so far. Wallace was the hot-head of the pair, whilst Dusty was a little more rational, but never let little quibbles like logic get in the way of doing the right thing. * "Bestian", Bethany Wilder and Christian Wake (Ninth and Eighth place) - A couple before the game, the romance burned hotter and brighter than ever under the glare of the TV cameras, the pair becoming almost fanatically dedicated to one another - though making for a lot of great scenes for the sentimental. They demonstrated early on that they weren't just holing up and waiting for the end though, with Christian proving willing and able to defend them both if necessary, Bethany prompting him into pre-emptive attacks on several that entered their little bubble of security. Their downfall came when forced to leave their careful fortifications, demonstrating to many that holing up can be as much a hindrance as a help. * Alejandra Martinez (tenth place) - Pragmatic and quite emotionally cold, Alejandra straddled an unusual line, never outright playing the game, but never looking out for anyone other than herself, either. What's for certain is that she played the game extremely intelligently, taking as few risks as possible and avoiding conflict unless absolutely necessary. Ironically Alejandra's death was a result of her lone wolf gameplay, when her barn hideout was surrounded by the player trio 'The Three Musketeers' and without any help to rely on, escape proved impossible. * Samuel "One-Legged Wonder" Allen (eleventh place) - Definitely one of the more unique contestants to appear in SOTF-TV, Sam was a deliberate attempt by the producers to angle for some early-game sympathy (and subsequently, extra 'heat' for whichever villain took him out). Suffering from a badly broken leg at the time of the season's beginning, Sam couldn't walk without crutches, which he was allowed to keep in exchange for receiving no assigned weapon. Expecting an easy out, the producers were surprised to find Samuel a tenacious and gutsy competitor, successfully defending himself against several of the game's players and making it all the way to the final day before being caught in a burning building, unable to escape thanks to his injury. Summary: Forty-eight students from Casterly Hill, Los Angeles made up the field for Season three, noted for being the first season to artificially enclose its contestants instead of making use of the natural barriers of an island. The season's pace was very inconsistent, great bursts of action coming all at once, followed by long periods of inactivity, contributing to the game taking almost a week to conclude. However, many have observed that this actually helped the season's flow, as it allowed for introspection and interaction between students, but whenever it dragged, it was broken up by flurries of violence. Day one was by far the steadiest part of the game, accounting for a death every few hours, for a total of eight eliminated. Key amongst these was the first kill of one Kenshin 'Kenny' Yamana, an Asian-American baseball player who had been assigned a bat for a weapon. Encountering his teammate (and rival) Duane Andrews, their familiarity led to the pair sticking together for several hours. The first announcement made Kenny realise the reality of the situation, and after psyching himself up for some time, smashed his baseball bat into the back of Duane's head, killing him. Freaking out over what he'd done for a short while, Kenshin then took the first step towards winning the hearts of SOTF fans by mugging for the nearest camera and declaring 'home run!'. It took him quite a while longer to properly compose himself and come to terms with what he'd done, but that was a defining moment for Kenny's game. The second day, by contrast to the first, was the quietest and least violent of the entire game. Instead, action focused on a number of groups assembling, as well as the emergence of several prominent game motivators. Alejandra Martinez demonstrated her uniquely logical style of play by outmanuvering and escaping attackers not once but twice. Meanwhile 'The Duo' - the best friends Dusty Mills and Wallace Cardegan encountered one another, immediately forming one of the strongest partnerships ever seen in SOTF. Kenny Yamana scored a second kill, and the group known simply as 'Escape' formed. Headed by Reilly Jenkins, Escape's objective was self evident, and the six-strong team did everything they could to ensure that they succeeded. Holing up in the village centre, the group barricaded themselves inside, making the location as secure as possible, no more than three of them leaving at any one time to look for various supplies and equipment. Always effectively distributing their resources and trusting one another implicitly, Escape was excellently organised and above all, well led. As the game progressed, several other big motivators emerged. Samuel Allen continued to defy the odds by surviving in spite of having only a crutch to work with, staying alive by the narrowest of margins, memorably rebreaking his leg by blasting an assailant in the head with his cast. The so-called 'Three Musketeers' began to make a mark on the game; the team of Simone Lockley, Jan Hesselink and Robin Robinson met up with one another, and after a momentarily tense stand-off in the village's bar, combined as a group to kill the unfortunate Stacey Plane, who inadvertently stumbled into the situation whilst searching for shelter. In spite of sharing no real history, the group found common ground in this killer instinct, and joined up to become a formidable but cocky team. Finally 'Bestian', the popular pairing of Bethany Wilder and Christian Wake showed that they weren't just another sappy romance story by defending their hideaway from an intruder with lethal force. Kenny Yamana continued to leave his mark, successfully bluffing his way into the confidence of Manny Juarez, convincing him that his kills had been self defence and accidental, respectively. Manny told Kenshin his idea to make it out of the game, and the baseballer played along for a short while, before coming out with another infamous line: "I see just one problem with that plan," - shooting Manny three times with the gun he obtained from Duane - "All those holes in your chest.". Alejandra Martinez impressed the 'gameplanner' section of the fans further as, realising she needed a weapon, she created a silhouette (out of a hatstand, coat and fishbowl) in the window of one of the village's houses as a lure. Soon enough the bait was taken and Sandra Bennett, an aspiring (but fairly incompetent) player took a potshot, 'killing' the dummy. As Sandra moved into the house to investigate, Alejandra hid, then ambushed her, cutting her throat with her assigned knife and claiming her weapon. Early in Day 5, Escape simply imploded. Reilly Jenkins had been expressing her doubts and paranoia by writing them down in a journal, some of the scrawlings including very dark thoughts, such as exactly what she would do to kill each of her allies. Although Reilly had been using the journal simply as a venting mechanism, her allies were utterly horrified by the discovery, and their trust in their leader was destroyed. Tensions ramped up very quickly, and ironically the member of the group that Reilly had expressed the most concern over; Dave Rader, went for his gun. For a few moments, the village hall turned into armageddon as a fire fight erupted. At the end of it, Dave lay dead, team smarts Taila Quine was fatally wounded and three of the other four had suffered injuries. Remarkably, the only member of the group not to have been hurt was Reilly herself. At that point, Escape's trust was irrevocably shattered, and though the survivors did not harm Reilly, they forced her to leave. The remaining trio tried to pull together and execute the plan, but with Taila dead and Reilly gone, they had lost both the key components that had made the team so effective and the numbers they needed to safely leave the hall. Breaking down into arguments and in-fighting, an uneasy alliance was maintained, but little progress was made towards fulfilling the carefully laid plans from earlier in the game. The remnants of Escape were eventually wiped out by a coordinated attack on the building by the Three Musketeers. As the field dwindled down, it became clear that the closing stages of Season Three were going to be heavily influenced by alliances. The Duo were an inseperable pair with the firepower to match their gung ho heroics. The bond of Bethany and Christian was more or less unbreakable, even after class cynic Jamie Mullen unleashed the full force of her caustic personality on telling them that their relationship was doomed. For a rag-tag trio that had formed on convenience, the Three Musketeers were on a tear, racking up several kills between them and somehow seeming more at ease with each other's company the longer the game went on. The eventual death of Samuel Allen as 'Bestian' accidentally set a house he was camped out in on fire signified that the final ten had arrived. A tense night passed as the survivors slowly moved around the zone, and the following morning, Alejandra Martinez finally fell foul of her own loner nature. The Three Musketeers moved in on her barn hideout, surrounding it, flushing Alejandra into the open and killing her, though not before she inflicted wounds on both Robin and Jan. Bearing witness to this was one Reilly Jenkins, who had kept a low profile since being forced out of her own group, playing conservatively, worried that killing Dave would alienate her from anyone she tried to team up with; an assumption that was probably incorrect, considering it had been a hostile 'Bestian' that had fired on her when she made contact with them. Retreating away from the scene of Alejandra's death into a field, Reilly bumped straight into Kenshin Yamana, resulting in a Mexican stand-off. Kenny, for once, had no interest in fighting, and he pointed out to Reilly that he was pretty sure the rest of the final ten was comprised of teams, having been previously run off by The Duo and also witnessing the Three Musketeers in action. Reilly confirmed that she had run into another pairing, rounding out everyone left. At this point, Kenshin offered Reilly an alliance of convenience, flat out telling her that alone they were much more likely to be killed. Reluctantly, Reilly took the deal, though she took pains to point out that she didn't trust Kenny, to which he replied "Well that shows you're not a moron, at least". In the meantime, Dusty and Wallace clashed inconclusively with the Musketeers, who had holed up in a small ruined chapel on the edge of the village to treat their injuries. Gunfire was exchanged, but no major damage was inflicted. However, it did serve to alert the others to their location, and en route, Kenshin and Reilly stumbled straight into Bethany and Christian, resulting in a ferocious close range battle, noted for every single shot fired missing. In hand to hand combat, the makeshift pairing overcame season three's 'first couple', Reilly not only dispatching Bethany but making the assist with Christian, planting her switchblade into his back as he struggled with Kenshin. Moving on into the churchyard, Kenshin and Reilly managed to arrive at the worst possible time, just as the Duo were making another probing move on the chapel. Caught in the crossfire between the chapel and the semi-destroyed wall marking out its perimeter, the pair were forced to take cover behind gravestones, stuck between a rock and a hard place. A stroke of luck led to a reprieve, a shot ricocheting off the arched entrance of the chapel and hitting Robin Robinson in the head at the same time as Wallace's pistol jammed, giving the beleagured team a chance to retaliate, the resultant hail of gunfire killing Dusty outright and seeing Simone take a bullet to the chest. A few minutes of calm ensued as each of the groups licked their wounds, Jan taking the decision to mercy-kill a dying Simone, Wallace shell-shocked at the death of his best friend. The quiet didn't last long though, as Wallace made a suicidal charge out from cover, getting gunned down in short order by Kenshin. Reilly and Kenny proceeded to lay down concentrated fire on the chapel, and with plenty of ammunition left, it wasn't long before Jan was shot and killed. Losing herself in the moment, Reilly jumped up to celebrate... and Kenshin promptly shot her in the back. The wound was not immediately fatal though, and as Reilly collapsed, Kenshin approached her to make sure the job was finished. Kicking her gun away, Kenny then hesitated, knowing that Reilly was already done for and for the very first time, showing an element of regret. The girl praised Kenny for 'doing what he had to', even if in the process he had been 'a total asshole', which Kenny quipped he was going to take as a compliment. For an absurd second, it seemed as though Reilly was going to kiss her ally turned killer—and then she got the last laugh by stabbing him in the foot with her switchblade, dying with a smile on her face even as Kenshin rolled around on the floor in pain. Legacy: * Rated as: Excellent * Season Three is generally accepted to have been a very strong game with an interesting cast of characters, including a surprising number of 'minor' players, many of which were quite popular in their own right. Endgame in particular was considered action packed, the final nine simply having been coincidentally close to one another, accidentally brought in with some fairly unthinking dangerzone distribution. * Kenshin was a fan favourite, even though game 'purists' criticised him for several big mistakes, not least wandering into the crossfire in the churchyard. Even so, Kenshin did enough not to be considered a 'fluke' winner, particularly because his general personality made him very difficult not to like. There are still an absolute hoard of GIFs of Kenny's game, with the most enduringly popular being the 'home run' incident, which the cameras caught absolutely perfectly. * Kenshin has continued to be a major spokesperson for the game following his win, fully willing to take advantage of all the publicity that comes with winning the game. Proving completely unrepentant about what he did, Kenshin has gone on record saying his only regret is "Not seeing Reilly's knife coming" (he still suffers from a notable limp). Kenshin's wit and charisma have maintained his image and popularity, and he has even been involved in a number of movies, usually playing some kind of suave villain. Suggested by: Namira Season Four Dates: ''' 2007 '''Winner: '''Samara Bain (six kills) '''Runner Up: Ewan Garnier (five kills) Third Place: Lana Alonso (two kills) Location: A western Caribbean island which at one stage had been used as a military installation. However, it had fallen from use hundreds of years prior to Season Four. Extensive repair work was undertaken to restore the buildings to working order, and to seed cameras throughout the less hospitable areas of the island. Pride of place went to the restored fort overlooking the island's bay and port village, and a replica schooner moored there. Notable Participants: * Samara Bain (Winner) - Rollerblading enthusiast Samara rose to prominence from the very beginning of the game when she opened the killing. However, she was not a player, never attacking others unless first provoked and generally seeking to avoid violence. On the other hand, her blunt, direct nature and willingness to fight when the chips were down resulted in the fans growing invested in her as an antiheroic badass (though as tends to be the case with these things, this persona is often exaggerated). Samara's personality, actions, and associations with other cast members meant she was never far from the forefront of the season. * Ewan Garnier (second place) - Pragmatic yet hot tempered, Ewan captained the year's swimming team, and was well known for being a leader. In the game, he was initially wary, but grew in confidence when he was able to recruit a number of his friends to his side. This group, originally intended as a way of keeping one another safe, devolved in step with Ewan's own morals, growing increasingly aggressive and violent. By the time Ewan remained as the last man standing, he had become an undisputed villain. * Lana Alonso (third place) - A friend-turned-rival of Ewan, Lana was very relaxed and laid back prior to Season Four, making her emergence as a major motivator all the more surprising. Sharing many friends with Ewan thanks to a similar peer group (Lana was on the school athletics team), she contributed to splitting their comrades down the middle when she and Ewan clashed. Many remember her for being the originator of the game's only escape plot, though she eventually gave up on it. * Clyde Avers (fourth place) - A giant student almost 6ft 6' in height, Clyde, in spite of his stature, was extremely mild-mannered and very scrawny, making him not even slightly threatening. One of the more average kids, Clyde mostly spent his time at school studying. By contrast, he was probably the closest thing Season Four had to a hero, for morals if nothing else; albeit his passive play prevented him from ever truly assuming this role in the heart of the fans. * Those Guys', Dirk Lukash and Neerav Shah (sixth and seventh place)'' - Casual acquaintances at best before the game, Dirk and Neerav came from very different backgrounds yet had very similar personalities. They spent most of their time fooling around and telling jokes, determined not to let the situation get them down. However, their serious moments—whilst still riffing off their optimism and high spirits were just as featured. Furthermore, they each more-than hinted at having unexplored feelings for one another, making their duo the prime romantic pair of the season. * Irwin Baker (ninth place) - Amongst SOTF's first examples of a player who relied primarily on manipulation, Irwin was the well-liked class clown prior to the game. Feeling he couldn't trust his classmates, but also knowing that he was not physically big or strong enough to compete directly, Irwin kept ahead through trickery and lies. He was successfully able to gain the confidence of others, particularly Raj Singh, who he managed to use to do much of his dirty work. * JP Hopper (tenth place) - A major threat throughout the game, JP was a fairly nondescript student at his school. Average grades, average popularity and average hobbies. However, he took to SOTF with drive and determination, becoming known and feared for his innovation, array of strategies and ruthlessness. He was also one of the game's first villains to consistently engage with the cameras and audience, using them as outlets for his thoughts, outlining his plans ahead of their execution. In particular this gave him a lot of credit for moves that may have otherwise seemed instinctive or lucky, but were instead considered ahead of time. * Niles North (twelfth place) - One of a colourful cast of minor players, Niles began to play relatively early on, laying out clearly that he felt as a privileged person from a wealthy background, he not only had the tools to survive but 'deserved it' more than his peers. Whilst fairly dangerous in his own right, he was repeatedly tormented by Neerav and Dirk, and is best remembered for his multiple humiliations at their hands. * Meena Sharma (fifteenth place) - Close friends with Clyde, Meena is best known for her support of him and her ability to have a sarcastic remark for every situation. In particular, some of her remarks about the game ('I always wanted to go on a scenic vacation to murder island!') became out-and-out taglines not just for Season Four, but to an extent SOTF-TV as a whole. '''Summary: Forty-seven students from Billings, Montana made up the field for Season Four, which had been teased heavily with televised and online shorts in the buildup, emphasising the exotic setting. Appetites well-whetted by Three, which was seen as the new benchmark for excellence, the audience eagerly awaited the start. As Four premiered, fans were treated to a stunningly gorgeous island view, sun shining in spite of the late season of the year. The weapon list was loosely nautically themed, and there were some cosmetic efforts (such as a jolly roger flag atop a pole) to grant a naval feel, although this was seen more as an opportunity to match the location than being a full fledged theme. The game began at a measured pace, with many students more concerned with finding friends and exploring the island than going out of their way to play the game. This is generally considered to be of benefit to the season, as the complicated layout and significant area of jungle in the field of play meant that audiences would otherwise have struggled to familiarise themselves with the layout. By the time of the first announcement, the TV editing and technical crews had assembled a stylised island 'map' to display on the broadcast. This map would be used to great effect in the delayed broadcast, as in scene transitions, it would briefly highlight where the action was taking place, lending a very cinematic feel. In fact, prior to the first announcement, the opening phase of the game had seen only two deaths. Samara Bain had an explosive argument with another student named Gavin Gorsky after he made an off colour remark, and growing increasingly angry, the pair came to blows. A back-and-forth brawl across the upper parapet of the fort ensued, concluding as Samara punched Gavin in the face and stunned, he reeled back and tripped, falling over the edge of the wall to his death. Not long afterwards, JP Hopper made a massive impact when he ignited his assigned powder keg and then hit Darwin Clark in the head with it, stunning him. Hopper escaped, and the explosion killed Darwin, blew out the windows of the storefront (the site of their fight), and was audible from halfway across the island. In the early afternoon, there was also another major confrontation as Ewan Garnier engaged in a wild gunfight with his erstwhile friend Lana Alonso, on the heels of the former rejecting the latter's escape plan. However, the majority of the first day was occupied with slower scenes. Maxine Langley made good use of her assigned compass as she wandered around the jungle area, beginning to map it out in thorough detail. Clyde Avers encountered Meena Sharma, and the two friends spent over an hour chatting about the island and their situation, Meena playfully remarking that she'd always wanted to take an exotic vacation. Dirk Lukash and Neerav Shah, both lost, ran into one another in the jungle's watch tower, and after a stand off, defused all tension by simultaneously revealing their harmless joke weapons. They would go on to hang out in the tower for a substantial length of time. More maliciously, Irwin Baker spent his day climbing around a narrow ravine, one of few routes allowing access to the secluded eastern cove of the island. After thoroughly exploring it, he proceeded to rig up a tripwire using his medkit and weapon draw (additional bandages), crossing the ravine and attaching it to a loose rock. Irwin then climbed back atop the ravine and staked out the area, watching and waiting. Day two's activity rapidly kicked up a notch. JP racked up a quickfire double kill as he continued to stalk the town area. He ambushed a duo in the space between two buildings, innovatively wielding a bracket he'd managed to pry loose from a wall. Maxime managed to exploit her map when she was pursued by Niles North, using the familiarity she'd gained with the jungle to lose him in the undergrowth. There were also a number of fights and other altercations, and the majority of the 'quiet' scenes of the day were punctuated by the echoing of gunfire. The two major groups of the game were also forming. Fuming at Ewan's rejection and all the more determined to prove him wrong, Lana began assembling a team to help her enact her plan, which hinged on exploiting the exotic environment to weaken the mechanisms of the collars and hence remove them. She quickly convinced her friends Larry Spence and Larry McMillan ('The Larries') to join her, and later that morning, enlisted two more allies; Reina Wilson and Jayanthal 'Jay' Sodhi. A sixth addition followed in the evening, when Matt Martensen discovered them in their base camp and asked to help, making him the sole member of the team who wasn't already part of Lana and Ewan's friendship group. Simultaneously, Ewan was rallying a cause of his own. Throughout the morning, it had become clear that his confrontation with Lana was more misunderstanding than intentional aggression; each had incorrectly assumed the other to be preparing for violence. The more Ewan shared his worries with the camera (and Lana with her team), the more clear the pair's mistake became. As Ewan lamented that even one of his closest friends could 'start playing the game', he resolved that he needed to collect the other parts of their friendship group 'before Lana got to them'. The first was Craig Waterman, vice-captain of the swimteam, whose loyalty and serene determination inspired Ewan onward. Ewan went on to recruit another swim colleague Mick Stanton, as well as Leanne Boer, a fellow athlete who happened to be Jay Sodhi's girlfriend. Late that evening Samara, who had been wandering around by herself, encountered Clyde and Meena at their lean-to in the jungle. Although initially alarmed at one of the game's few announced killers showing up, Clyde convinced Meena to give Samara a chance. The trio then spent the night together and the fans especially took to the interplay between Meena's snark and Samara's deadpan humour. The following morning, Samara's friend Iris Kyran arrived, and the two left together, separating amicably from Clyde and Meena. Dirk and Neerav finally had to abandon the watchtower when they were cornered by a student called Len Hollis, one of the players who had began to emerge the previous day. They led Len on a wild goose chase, fleeing out, around, back inside, and then finally upstairs as Len blundered his way after them. As he pursued them into the top room, the pair ambushed him, laying him out with a chair. With Len on the floor, half-unconscious, the dynamic duo made good their escape. Ewan's grouping began to establish themselves. Armed with three guns, they easily scared off everyone vaguely threatening they encountered. They also had some less confrontational interactions with less aggressive students, exchanging conversation, but making no move to add anyone else to the team. Meanwhile, Lana and company began running some tests on the collars, mostly inspecting Darwin Clark's explosive-damaged specimen. However, progress was slow due to a lack of technical aptitude amongst the group, only able to proceed through painstaking trial and error. The key incident of Day Three, however, was Irwin's plan coming to fruition. Still with Samara, Iris triggered Irwin's tripwire, bringing a rock down onto her and shattering her skull. Samara, spotting Irwin immediately, went berserk, starting to climb up to his perch. Having intended to catch a lone person, Irwin panicked and fled into the cove, Samara giving chase. The following morning, Lana's team picked up their seventh and final member. The Larries, scouting around the docks for more supplies, happened upon Kate Mayweather, one more mutual friend. However, upon their return to the township, they discovered a tense and highly-charged situation. Ewan's team had began exploring the town, spotting Reina. Alarmed by her anxious reaction, Ewan urged the group after her as she ran back to the others, and as Craig caught up to her first, he burst into a room of people bristling with weaponry. The scene was set; half of Lana's group hunkered down in the building, complete with two classmates' bodies, Ewan's in the entryway, and the Larries and Kate stuck outside in the street. Immediately suspicious of one another, Ewan and Lana had a shouting match, heedless of the attempts of the others to calm them both down. TV fans argue to this day about who started the shooting. Regardless of the aggressor, the other immediately retaliated, and the building descended into chaos. Multiple members of both sides suffered injuries; Leanne was killed outright, and Larry Spence was hit in the stomach by a stray bullet. Outnumbered, Ewan retreated, screaming curses at Lana and accusing her of 'turning their friends against him'. Lana's group attempted to treat their injuries, but were unable to properly treat Larry, who bled to death over the next three hours. At Larry's side to his death, Lana swore that she would see Ewan brought to justice, dividing her group down the middle. Matt and Reina wanted to continue on with the escape plan, whilst Jay and surprisingly Kate supported her, Jay in particular furious with what he saw as Ewan leading Leanne to her death. Larry McMillan remained torn, feeling that they could still talk things out if they tried. In the meantime, Craig did his best to calm Ewan down whilst Mick sulked sullenly. Craig actually managed to salve Ewan's fury, although the latter did state that if they ran across Lana again, then he couldn't make any guarantees. For his part, Mick just muttered a few words about being upset they were fighting friends. Samara caught up with Irwin in the cove, having backed him into a corner, and proceeded to beat him down, making use of Iris's assigned roundshield. Blubbering, Irwin gave up, and Samara grilled him, demanding to know why he'd killed Iris. Tearful, Irwin admitted that he'd been hoping to gain better gear as he knew he was too weak to compete physically. Samara hit Irwin a few more times for good measure, and then left him there, battered and bruised but alive. As she stalked off, Samara told him that he wasn't worth bloodying her hands for. Neerav and Dirk continued their misadventures around the arena, happening upon a napping Niles North and, unwilling to 'stoop to his level', tied his shoelaces together, stole all of his underwear, and spray-painted 'LOSER' on a nearby wall. Meera and Clyde briefly met up with Maxime in the jungle. They invited her along with them, but she refused, feeling that her mapping strategy was the best idea for longterm survival. Reluctantly they departed, and the encounter led to a frank discussion between the two about what exactly their plans and goals for the game were. They failed to come to a solution; neither wanted to play, but didn't know how they could break out, and neither had many friends amongst those selected for the game. On the fifth day, Lana's group split; unable to support her continued drive for vengeance, Reina announced she was leaving, taking Matt with her. Similar fractures were appearing within Ewan's team as he incited Mick to beat up Kaleb Skate to take his supplies 'to fight Lana'. After calming Ewan once again, Craig slipped back to Kaleb to apologise, explain Ewan was struggling under pressure, and share some of his own supplies with him. Just an hour later, the two groups had their second confrontation, exchanging gunfire on the outskirts of the town, each retreating before any major damage could be done—largely off Larry McMillan trying to deescalate the situation. Len stumbled across the area of the fort that JP had elected to hole up, resulting in a rare player/player conversation scene as the two reacted warily. However, JP pointed out that it was actually to both of their advantages if they didn't fight, since they were both well-armed and obviously willing to play. Len was eventually swayed, though he left with a warning that next time they met, all bets would be off. JP shrugged him off and went back to his preparations. Irwin also managed to bluff his way into the confidence of a pair of students, Raj and Prisha Singh (often referred to as 'Mr and Mrs Singh', in spite of being no relation). Thanks to his injuries and crocodile tears, he was able to convince them that Iris and Samara had attacked him, resulting in him picking up a kill in self defence. Thanks to Samara's reputation and her killing of Gavin, they both bought the lie. Now a little shy of the midway point of the game, a previously low-profile figure emerged into the light. Annette Charleston, who had mostly been hiding in the dark hold of the schooner, was forced to move by a dangerzone. The first people she met were Meena and Clyde, and she spent some time talking with them, picking information about the arena and their classmates. After some time, Annette apologised and then started shooting. Clyde, realising what was about to happen, tackled Meena down, shielding her, and taking two bullets to the arm. Annette immediately realised that they were both still alive, lost her nerve, and ran away. On the sixth morning, Niles encountered Neerav and Dirk again. Niles attempted to gain their trust, talking about his woes and how he'd been robbed whilst asleep. The duo strung him along for several minutes, then revealed it was them that had done so. Niles blew a gasket and gave chase as they fled, both in gales of laughter. The two of them, charging through part of the jungle, wound up racing straight past Len, who reacted too slowly to stop them, but quickly enough to start shooting at Niles. Managing to take cover, Niles returned fire, and a ferocious gunfight ensued. Eventually, Niles prevailed, shooting Len in the head, and then making himself scarce as soon as possible. Following the information from Clyde and Meena, Annette made her way into the jungle, and then lay in wait. Initially appearing to simply be hiding, her intentions became clear when Maxime happened along, continuing with her strategy. Annette ambushed her, badly injuring Maxime's leg. Although she got clear and was able to keep ahead due to her map, Maxime was hobbled badly enough that Annette caught up to her and shot her in the back. Her prize; the map. JP, who had been laying low, assembling his gear and making sure he was prepared, finally made a move again. He ventured from the fort, almost immediately scoring his fourth kill. As he stood over his victim, JP gestured to the nearest camera and made his most famous speech, outlining his determination and will to survive. Lana and Ewan clashed yet again in the early evening. Traversing the docks area, Lana and Ewan ran almost directly into one another, and separated after a brief close-combat, each calling for their allies. However, Larry McMillan ran out into the open, interceding between the two sides. He demanded a stop to the fighting, pointing out that all of them were friends, and demanding that they break it up. Ewan seemed somewhat swayed, and Larry approached him, offering the olive branch, saying that they should all be working together. Lana had other ideas. Taking Larry's statement as an offer to swap sides, she started shooting again. Ewan retaliated, and thinking Larry was trying to trick him, shot him in the head at almost point blank range. In moments, another shootout erupted. In the fracas, Kate was hit in the throat and Mick grazed in the temple. Running low on ammo, Craig cautioned a retreat, and they fell back, leaving Mick behind. As the dust settled, however, it became apparent that Mick was still alive, simply dazed. Jay and Lana, left alone, stood over him, and after a moment's shared eye contact, Jay executed him. Samara then ran across Irwin, Raj and Prisha, who were immediately on their guard. Samara vehemently denied Irwin's accusations, but became extremely angry at him for twisting the truth, resulting in Raj and Prisha closing ranks. Irwin egged them on, subtly inciting violence, ratcheting the tension. Samara, although deeply frustrated, figured out what Irwin was doing, and managed to calm herself down to back out of the situation. She warned them that Irwin couldn't be trusted, and then left. At the start of day seven, nineteen students remained. That number was quickly culled. Reina and Matt had continued to painstakingly attempt to dismantle the collars, Matt suffering some injuries when he accidentally detonated one. Feeling that they were making some progress, the pair adjourned to rest, and were discovered by Ewan and Craig. Fuming at seeing them both again, Ewan launched into an angry rant about Lana and everything she'd done, ignoring their protests that they hadn't seen her for days. Craig edgily attempted to talk him down, but in a shocking explosion of violence, Ewan gunned Reina down and then beat Matt to death with his pistol. Irwin also continued with his manipulations. As his trio met up with Kaleb Skate, who had picked up an accidental kill the previous day, Irwin repeatedly intimated that Kaleb was a threat. Escalating the situation on purpose, Irwin caused Raj to panic and shoot Kaleb dead, shaking Prisha and driving a wedge between them both. Perhaps the key moment, however, happened in the late afternoon in the watchtower. JP was on the hunt and overheard Meena and Clyde talking. After taking some time to stake out the area, he attacked. Grievously wounding Meena with his opening salvo, JP pinned them both down with methodical gunfire. Meena, realising how badly wounded she was, told Clyde to run and survive, and then ran out into the open, charging at JP at and catching him off guard long enough for Clyde to escape. Samara then had a run-in with Annette. Having already picked up one kill that day with an ambush, she started to stalk Samara, using the map to keep one step ahead. However, Samara managed to pick up on something being awry when coming across the area she'd originally met Clyde and Meena, noting that the camp had been disturbed. Suspecting she might have someone following her, Samara doubled back and caught Annette cold. Attempting to overpower and disarm her, Samara was forced to resort to lethal force when Annette drew a knife. At nightfall, Raj and Prisha fell to arguing; not only had Raj killed, but Prisha's gun had gone missing from her gear. Once again, Irwin exacerbated the situation, preying on the individual doubts of the duo. For a moment, it seemed like they might even start fighting, but instead, Prisha tore off, tearfully claiming that she couldn't even trust her friends any longer. Almost immediately afterwards, as she stumbled around in the dark, she collided with Niles North, who was sneaking towards the sound of raised voices. A brief yet intense scrap ensued as they grappled, rolling around in the dark, several shots being fired before Niles managed to free up his hand and shoot Prisha under the chin. The eighth day was the most explosive yet. Dirk and Neerav realised that their actions towards Niles were only making him more dangerous, and resolved that, with only a dozen survivors, they couldn't just fool around any longer. To this end, they hatched a plan. Stealing some canvas from the schooner, the pair spent the morning carting it up to the top of the fort. An hour or so later, they managed to drape the canvas out across the parapets, revealing painted in massive letters 'NILES FUCKS HIS SISTER'. Down below, Niles saw this almost instantly and had a furious meltdown of absolutely epic proportions. He charged up to the fort as quickly as he could, arriving winded and blinded by sweat. Dirk and Neerav, lying in wait, pounced. Although poorly armed, the ambush and Niles' exhaustion and anger gave them an advantage, allowing them to overpower and finally kill him. Meanwhile, another frantic struggle was ongoing. Lana and Jay were exploring the same building as Craig and Ewan, and met in close quarters. Ewan was able to gain the upper hand over Jay, and then proceeded to use him as a human shield, pointing a gun at Jay's head and screaming at Lana to come out. Lana did so, and the two former friends had a tearful staredown. For a moment, it appeared they may somehow reconcile as Craig reminded them what they'd both lost—and then Lana fired, killing Jay and shattering Ewan's jaw. Ewan returned fire, wounding and downing Lana, before collapsing, screaming in pain. Craig ran to check on Lana and, realising she was still alive, muttered to her to 'stay down', returning to Ewan and assisting him out of the building, telling him Lana was dead. Lana, bleeding heavily, was able to staunch her wounds, but no more than that. At noon Clyde, who had been hunkering down since Meena's death, had the misfortune to be cornered by JP in a storage warehouse. JP gave immediate pursuit as Clyde fled through the building, ducking and darting through different shelves, dodging gunfire. Drawn by the noise, Samara burst in. Instantly reading the situation, she charged JP from the blind side and bullrushed him through a set of shelving with her shield, sending his weapon flying. After taking a moment to check on Clyde, Samara returned to JP and pinned him to the floor with a boot to the chest. Clyde, faced with Meena's killer, pointed his gun at JP's head, but was unable to fire, claiming it would make him no better. Samara responded that she'd made this same mistake once before and promptly shot JP dead. Buoyed by their success—albeit unhappy about having to resort to violence, Dirk and Neerav returned to the township area. There, they discovered Irwin and Raj, whose paranoia at this stage was rocketing off the charts. Having heard of the death of Niles on the mid-morning announcement, Irwin immediately started off on his usual track of claiming the two couldn't be trusted. However, a spanner in the works in the form of Samara appeared, drawn from the warehouse by the shouting. Irwin's lies grew increasingly frantic in the face in opposition from her—and Raj freaked out, firing wildly in every direction. Irwin panicked, pulling the gun he'd stolen from Prisha and opening fire too. Dirk and Neerav were both hit and went down. Samara, keeping her nerve, exploded out of cover behind her shield, mowing Irwin down and then stomping on the back of his neck, breaking it. Stunned by the suddenness of Samara's appearance, Raj stopped shooting. Seeing Irwin armed, he put two and two together, realising he'd been lied to, and in grief and anger, shot himself in the head. Samara ran to Dirk and Neerav, both grievously wounded, but found there was nothing she could do. Hand in hand, the partners bled out within a couple of minutes of one another. The final act of the day saw Craig tending to Ewan's wounds. Thinking that Ewan was going to imminently die, Craig confessed his doubts and worries about everything that had happened so far. Building up about the game and his support for Ewan, Craig finally declared 'I just care too much about you to see you like this'—and Ewan stabbed him in the throat as Craig levelled his gun. Craig collapsed, choking on his own blood. Ewan, through his mangled jaw, managed 'Now you don't have to.' Endgame was set for the morning of the ninth day in the fort. Samara accompanied Clyde there, but then stopped him in the entryway. She explained that if she was being smart, she should kill him now, but she remembered he'd given her a chance. Instead, she told him that he had to make a choice; he couldn't keep being passive and let everything happen around him. It was time for Clyde to stand up for himself, starting with Samara. Clyde claimed that he simply couldn't, and Samara shouted him down, telling him that if he refused, she'd gun him down right here and now. Clyde hesitated, and Samara drew her gun. Reluctantly, he responded, and the two of them stood there facing one another. The tension broke, both guns went up, and Clyde fell. He hadn't fired. At the opposite side of the fort, both hampered by their injuries, Lana and Ewan arrived simultaneously. No words remaining; they immediately attacked one another. Short, brutal, and to the point, the scuffle lasted barely half a minute before Ewan drove a knife into Lana's temple, stabbing her three more times in the head for good measure. The final two met atop the fort. Each low on resources, Samara quickly ran out of ammunition, and Ewan's didn't last much longer. One final hand-to-hand battle was joined, and Samara, being the healthier and less exhausted of the two, was able to gain the upper hand. Disarming Ewan and crushing what remained of his jaw with a brutal blow, Samara hesitated over him for barely an instant before finishing him off for good. Legacy: * Rated As: Excellent * Beloved for great action scenes and the spectacular setting, what in some games has been a death knell (slow pacing) worked to the advantage of Season Four as it allowed all of its main protagonists to enjoy time in the spotlight. In almost all ways, Four delivered on the promised hype from Three, having cohesive arcs, a little romance, and one of the game's now-legendary rivalries. One of only a handful of criticisms is that Samara had a clear advantage coming into Endgame, but the emotionally charged finale dampens most doubters. * Samara, the game's first female and first black winner was unapologetic about her victory after the fact, pointing out that she'd stuck to her guns throughout and hadn't actively tried to play the game. Still, there were many different angles to enjoy her game from; an anti-hero, a misunderstood hero, and a badass action girl. Samara now lives a fairly private life in Billings, where she runs several charities helping disadvantaged and minority children. She does, however, appear often on talk segments and SOTF shows, where her deadpan delivery is always a highlight. * Amongst many posthumous fan favourites, Ewan and Lana, along with their groups, enjoy a great deal of acclaim from the cast. They are often showcased in Four-related media and frequently cited as one of the best rivalries in the game. In particular, the way that almost their entire groups knew one another and had preexisting relationships and how neither could really be cast as the 'good guy'. Examples of their popularity include 'Trust', a video game featuring Ewan, Lana and their group as fantasy characters tracking a murderer, and a dual-release in SOTF Champions of Ewan and Lana simultaneously. * Season Four holds a special place in the heart of many SOTF-TV fans, debuting several enduring features of the show and definitively breaking the mold in its setting. It also represented a notable step forward in the production values of the show, and was the advent of several of the modern-day broadcast strategies. This included the 'extended cut' edit broadcasting the events of each day that same evening, and also a 'highlights show' to update viewers who perhaps didn't have time to sit down and watch the full show. Although the 'near-live' experience remained the most popular broadcast, TV's ratings spiked higher than ever due to the greater array of options. * The 'island map' feature proved to be a very popular addition. Although previous versions had shown photographs and satellite views of the area, the simplified virtual map was clearer and easier to understand. The overwhelming majority of later seasons have included this feature (or variants thereof), often combined with use of the 'highlight' feature to demonstrate where contestants were located. Suggested by: Namira Category:SOTF-TV Lore Category:SOTF-TV